Dear Editor,
As if we aren’t paying enough already in property taxes, the Michigan Senate under Republican leadership may soon be voting on SB-653, the “History Museum Authorities Act.”
We already pay for the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Zoo. Now some legislators want to add another 0.4 mills to our property taxes for this during a time we already see higher taxes due to inflated home valuations.
Will this tax help our own North Oakland Historical Museum? No! In fact, Democrat Senator Marshall Bullock wrote the bill to exclude any museums in cities with under 500,000 in population. So, just Detroit’s two museums are expected to receive the $42 million to be raised each year for 20 years. A home in Oakland or Wayne County with a taxable value of $150,000 will see another $1,200 in property tax over the period of this bill if put on the ballot.
The bill may be scheduled soon for a vote. Please Google your State Senator’s number today and let her know your opinion.
Jay R. Taylor,
Oxford